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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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ICE MACHINE. No. 328,624. Patented Oct. 20, 1885.

N. PETERS. Plwwumo her. Wilhlllgim I16.

2 t e e h S w e e h S 2 E N H 0 E VM 0% I m d 0 M 0 No. 328,624. Patented Oct. 20, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FrroE.

OSCAR VEZIN, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

ICE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,624, dated October 20, 1885.

Application filed June 23, 1885. Serial No. 169,524. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, OSCAR VEZIN, of Elizabeth, county of Union, State of New Jersey, have invented an Improved Ice Machine, of

5 which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an ice-producing apparatus; and it consists in the devices and their combinations hereinafter described, and as more at length recited in the claims.

Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a vertical elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus containing my invention, and Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a plan of the apparatus.

The apparatus embodying my invention is designed to employ a gas as the cold-producing agent, which by alternate and successive compression, condensation, and vaporization in the apparatus is employed continuously to cause the frigorific effect.

A is a rotary pump, mounted upon a suit able standard, a. Aninduction-pipe, a, leads into the pump at the bottom, and an eductionpipe, a leads from the pump at the top into a chamber, B. The pipe a is provided with a valve, a

The chamber B, for the reason hereinafter stated, I denominate the separator, and this separator should be located, substantially as shown, above the level of the pump A.

I find it in some measure desirable, although I do not consider it essential to the successful operation of my apparatus, to have the pipe 1) leading from the bottom of the separator-chamber downwardly to and below the pump, and there communicating with the induction-pipe a, a valve, b, being provided, as shown, to sever and cutoff this communication at pleasure.

From the upper part of the separator-chamber B a pipe, 0, leads to a condenser-coil, 0, arranged in a tank, 0, adapted to receive and have circulate through it the necessary water for condensation purposes. This coil leads to and communicates with a chamber, D, in the lower part of the tank, and I denominate the said chamber D the accumulator. From near the bottom of the accumulator apipe, (1, leads to and communicates with a chamber,

E, which is arranged within a tank, E, being preferably suspended therein by the hangers e, as shown, and the said tank being desirably supported, as by the posts orstandards 6', thus constituting what is commonly called the refrigerator in ice-machines. The pipe 0 is provided with a valve, 0, as shown, and a pressure-gage, 0 provided with valve 0, is in communication with said pipe, as shown. The

pipe (1 is provided with the valve (2, as shown.

A pipe, E, leads from the refrigerator-chan1- ber E to and opens into the induction-pipe a immediately below the pump, and this said pipe E is provided with the valve 0; and a vacuum-gage, 0*, having valve 6 is set in said pipe, as shown. its opening into the induction-pipe a of the pump is provided with a checlovalve. (Shown at 6 The pump A is desirably provided with a water-jacket, a, and the separator-chamber B is in like mannerprovided with a water-jacket, b, a water-circulation through these jackets being effected by a pipe, 1)", leading from a supply, as in the condenser-tank, a pipe, a, leading from the chamber-jacket to the pumpjacket, and an overflow-pipe, as shown at a.

The rotary pump A, the induction and eduction pipes, and the pipe b,when used, are filled with a liquid, which preferably extends to a level or line in the separator-chamber B, somewhat above the line of the mouth of the pipe a opening thercinto, as shown in the drawings, Fig. 1. The liquid is prevented from entering the pipe E by the check-valve e. The liquid employed for this purpose should be such as will not by its presence act deleteriously upon the apparatus in connec tion with the gas employed as the refrigerant agent, nor to impair the utility of the gas as such agent. I have found it preferable to employ glycerine as the liquid for this purpose.

WVhen it is desired to charge the apparatus, thus constructed, with the refrigerant gas, all the valves commanding the circulation through the machine are opened, together with the valve a in the pipe a leading from the eduction-pipe a", the valve a being closed. The pump being then operated, the air in the chamber B, the condenser and its accumulator and in the refrigerator is exhausted by the The said pipe E" at or near 1 pump being drawn off and into thepump through the pipe E and thence expelled through the pipea The pipe a is furnished with the enlarged end a, into which the liquid rises, the air being driven off through the liquid and bubbling through it, while the,ex-' ternal air pressure prevents the escape of the liquid. The enlarged end, a", operates to furnish an increased area or surface of the exposed liquid, whereby the ejection of liquid due to its agitation by-the passage through it of the air is avoided. When a vacuum inthe apparatus is thus established, the valve a. is closed, and the gas may now be admitted through a pipe, 6, having valve 0 leading intothe refrigerator E, the valve df in pipe d and the valve e in pipe E being closed. I,

My described apparatus is particularly adapted for employment as 'what 'is commonly known as a hand-'mach ine,thatis to, say, one which is to be operated by hand-power and atfs'uch. times as a comparatively limited quantity of ice ,is desired to beproduced The features of my described apparatus are, however, capable of being employed in large machinesfwh'ere. comparatively large quantities ofice or extensive refrigeration is demanded and steam-power is used as the motor. p

When the apparatus'isto be used as a handmachine, the. valve 01 is closed and the remaining' circulation-valves are opened. The pump is then operated, and by its action the gas in the chamber E is rarefied and volatilized therein, and gradually drawn through the pipe E? into and through the pump, moving with and through the liquid seal thereof, and discharged into the chamber B. In this chamber the gas will rise and separate itself from the'liquid, and thence it will be forced and p'ass, into the; condenser G, from whence it willflowinto the accumulator D. I find it preferable to place a diaphragm, e, composed of two perforated or gauze plates with pebbles interposed between them, as shown in.Fig. l, in the chamber B, and intermediate the mouth of the pipe a and the mouth of the pipe 0. By this device should any of the liquid have a tendency to be thrown toward or into the pipe 0 by the agitation caused by therise of the gas from the pump into the chamber B, such result would be prevented.- The tank E being filled with water, the vaporization of the gas in the chamber B will effect the c'ong'elation of the said water about the exterior ofthe said chamber, and the gas being substantially wholly exhausted from the chamber E, the ice formed may be loosened from the exterior of said chamber by opening the valve d and allowing some of the warm compressed and condensed gas accumulated in V the chamberD to flow into and warm the chamber E. p l I When the apparatus is employed as a large ice-machine, the tank E may be filled with a non-congealable liquid in which cans containingwater are immersed, and then the valve d maintained more or less opened to act as a regulating-valve to control the flow of the gas. The pump being operated continuously, the chamber E will act as a continuous refrigerator. When the pipe bis used,the liquid constituting the seal will be circulated by the pump through said pipe, the pump, and-the chamber B, the gas being drawn into the pipe 0 through pipe E and moving through the pump and to the separator B with the'liquid. I find that this circulation of the liquid may, if desired, be omitted either by closing the valve 1) or wholly dispensing with the pipe 12, and that the gas will be quite as effectively drawn through the pipe E. by the action of the pump, and will be carried thence through the liquid into the separator B, the back-pressure on the liquid serving to keep the same in constant'andproper position in and filling and thus sealing the pump.

Byfnieans of the rotary pump filled with a liquid seal,as described,I am enabled to wholly dispense with the employment and presence of the valves which have been hitherto used in.

pumps in ice-machines. Such valvesusually reciprocating valves-have not only been a fruitful source of leakage of the gas, but have entailed friction,which had to be overcome to operate them, and, moreover, frequently became disarranged or disordered.

I am by means of my described liquid-sealed rotary pump enabled to avoid friction and at the same time to prevent leakage of the'gas at any point in the pump.

The compression of the gas, as well as the vaporization of the same in the refrigeratorchamber, are effected in equal volume with less power than that required in ice-machines of the usual construction.

My machines are, moreover, much less expensive to construct and much less liable to get out of order'than ice-machines as at present designed. I

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is p h v 1. In an ice-machine in which a vol tile fluid as the refrigerant agent is compressed, condensed, and then vaporized, a rotary pump and its induction and eduction pipes all filled with a liquid as a seal, as described, in combination with a chamber into which the' gas mingled with the liquid of the seal is discharged by the pump and therein separates from said liquid, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an ice-machine in which a volatile fluid as the refrigerant agent is compressed,

condensed, and then vaporized, a rotary pump and its induction and eduction pipes, in combination with a separatorchamber, as described, and a pipe leading from said chamber to said induction-pipe, together with a liquid as a seal, as described, filling said pump and said pipes, whereby the gas is discharged into said chamber mingled with the liquid and therein separates from said liquid, and the liquid of the seal is continuously circulated through said pump and said pipes, as set forth.

3. In an ice-machine, the combination,with

- r l I 1 A the chamber to which the refrigerant agent is supplied and in which it is volatilized, of a rotary pump and its induction and eduction pipes, and a liquid asaseal, as described, filling said pump and pipes,together with a pipe leading from said chamber to said inductionpipe, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In an ice-machine, the combination,with the condenser-coil, into,which the compressed gas employed as the refrigerant agent passes and liquefies, of a chamber into which the condensed gas flows and accumulates, together with a chamber suspended in a tank adapted to contain water to be frozen, and a pipe intermediate said chambers, provided with a regulating-valve, whereby the condensed gas which is volatilized in the second chamber and accumulates in the first chamber may be passed into the second chamber again, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In an ice-machine, the combination of a rotary pump, and its induction and eduction pipes, and a liquid as a seal, as described, filling the same, a chamber, into which the gas employed as the refrigerant agent is discharged mingled with said liquid and therein separates from said liquid, a condenser-coil having communication with said chamber, a vaporizingchamber having communication with said condenser, controlled by a regulatingvalve,

and a pipeleading from said vaporizing-chamber to the induction-pipe of said pump and provided with a check-valve, all as specified.

..6. In an ice-machine, the combination, with a rotary pump,and its induction and eduction pipes, filled with aliquid as a seal, as described, and a chamber, into which the gas employed as the refrigerant agent mingled with said liquid is discharged and therein separates from said liquid, of a perforated diaphragm in said chamber located intermediate its gas inlet and outlet, as described.

7. In an ice-machine, the combination, with a rotary pump,and its induction and eduction pipes, filled with a liquid as a seal, as described, and a chamber, into which the gas employed as the refrigerant agent is discharged mingled with said liquid and therein separates from said liquid, ofawater-jacket surrounding said pump, and a water-jacket surrounding said chamber, together with pipes leading from a water-supply to said jackets and giving a water circulation through said jackets, as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification this 12th day of June, 1885.

OSCAR VEZIN. \Vitn esses:

A. S. Frrorr, A. G. N. VERMILYA. 

